The Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources responsible for Mines, Mr George Mireku Duker, has, on behalf of sector minister Samuel A. Jinapor, called on the various mining companies in the country to deepen their local content policy in favour of the indigenes of the communities in which they operate.
Mr. Mireku Duker made the call when he engaged the executives of the Ghana Mines Workers Union at a brief meeting on Monday, to, among others, discuss ways of collaborating with the ministry to build a more robust mining sector.
He revealed that the government has been on these companies to roll out local content polices to favour the indigenes of the various communities in which they operate, stressing that the government will not relent on ensuring that mining companies do the right thing.
“We wouldn’t want a situation where the mine or the concessionaire will elapse their mining life and get away without giving the hard working Ghanaians what they are due, and this is what we want to frown on”, he said.
He added that, as these mining companies make profit in their venture, they must do so collaboratively and also link whatsoever gains they make with their entire workforce, indicating that it was the “right thing” that the ministry and government expect from the various mining companies.
Mr Duker further explained that local content is not only about welfare but also making available part of their concessions to the Ghanaian workers, by way of outsourcing some of their production activities and technological advancements among others.
He acknowledged the challenges tabled by the workers’ union and commended them for seeking redress to their grievances by using the appropriate fora.
He assured the executives that the ministry will continue to engage the Ghana Chamber of Mines and the Union to coordinate and bridge all the gabs, saying, “We will ensure we dot all the ‘Is’ and cross all the ‘Ts’ “.
In response to the issues raised by the minister on incentives to motivate the miners, the Chairman of the Ghana Mines Workers Union, Mr Kwarko Mensah Gyakari, said all miners in the big mining companies including Newmont Ghana, work on fixed-term contract basis, which means miners leave after two years.
“When we enquired from Newmont Ghana, we were told that the laws of Ghana allow it and they have no option [but] to do so”, he lamented.
